The show goes on for Kennedy-backed charity event on Cape

By Tania deLuzuriaga, Globe Staff

A charity bike ride hosted by the Kennedy family went on as planned this afternoon, with riders pedaling from the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library in Boston to a beach in the Hyannisport section of Barnstable.

Many riders said they hadn’t heard the news that Senator Edward Kennedy had been hospitalized.

But Kennedy nephew Anthony Shriver, founder and chairman of Best Buddies International, which raised $3 million from the event for mentally disabled people, said he was optimistic about his uncle’s prospects.

“Massachusetts General is one of the best hospitals in the world. I’m 100 percent confident he’ll be fine,” he said. "We've got a party going on here -- that's what he'd want."

State Sen. Mark Montigny, a Best Buddies board member who also attended the event, said he had visited the Kennedy compound earlier in the day and “from everything I’ve heard he’s doing great. ... I’m shocked, but I’m equally pleased he seems to be doing very well.”

The ride, in its 9th year, included 875 participants. More than 1,100 are expected tonight on the beach for a clam bake and a concert.

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